Mate Swap
by Crowfeather's Dream
Summary: Squirrelflight has to switch places with another queen from another Clan, and each queen has to look after the other's mate and kits. For one entire moon. Who will Squirrelflight be switching lives with? Will she survive?
1. I can't Believe This

Well, it was my first day of school today (Ahh, freshmen in high school!). My geometry teacher gave us a load of algebra to try and figure out, even though none of us have looked at an equation in over two months. So this was my fun little stress reliever. I've watched the show a few times (it's called Wife Swap), and it seems the producers go out of their way to find families that are polar opposites.

* * *

Brambleclaw stuck his head into the nursery. 

"You ready?" he asked Squirrelflight, who glared up at him with irritated green eyes.

"No. I can't believe you volunteered me for this. I won't forget this Brambleclaw." She stalked past him, with a last goodbye to her three kits, Lionkit, Jaykit, and Hollykit.

"It'll only be for a moon, though," the tom muttered.

"Whatever."

A yowl from the camp entrance made both of them look up.

"She's here," Brambleclaw sang out, and bounded across the clearing. Squirrelflight followed more slowly.

She had stayed at the camp for the Gathering two sunsets ago, and when Firestar and the others had came back, Brambleclaw told her he had signed her up for a "mate swap". He wouldn't tell her who the other queen was, was the assurance that the other queen didn't know who her replacement was going to be, either.

"How in StarClan's name did the other leaders agree to this?" Squirrelflight murmured under her breath. She had reached the camp entrance, and a crowd of ThunderClan cats were already gathered around Brambleclaw's new 'mate' for a moon.

"Well, where is she?" came the irritated voice. Squirrelflight stiffened. She knew that voice. As she pushed her way through the crowd, she saw Leafpool towards the back. From her sister's horrified expression, Squirrelflight knew that Leafpool recognized that voice, too.

The crowd at last parted for Squirrelflight, and the ginger she-cat found herself nose-to-nose with a black she-cat with a hostile yellow gaze. The queen stared down at her haughtily, her lip curling.

"Not only did Crowfeather drag me into this mess, I have an incompetent queen looking after my only kit!"

* * *

Now wasn't that just so fun to read? If you haven't read Power of Three, you probably have no idea who that cat is at the end, and I just spoiled Squirrelflight's kits. Sorry. Yes, I know, very short, but it seemed like a good place to stop. Reviews are the best, and the reviewers are the best-est! Thanks for taking the time to read this short chapter. The first reviewer shall get...a Nintendo Wii, and the others can have Xbox 360s. ;) 


	2. Vengeance is Sweet

Hey, aren't you lucky for such a quick update. Today was my second day of freshmen year, which has left me slightly exhausted. I'm not used to waking up at five-thirty in the morning. **:P Anywho, as for my awesome reviewers:**

**Flamespirit**- What, you already have a Wii? I want it! Actually, I might get it this Christmas...maybe. Yes, I've been thinking about this story in my head, and it has it's soap-opera moments, but it's mostly just funny. I'm on Ww at random times- you may not know my new name, but it's Seriously Facetious.  
**Chez**- Don't worry about short reviews, I accept all reviews!  
**puppylove**- Yep, definitely Nightcloud. And I can't believe anyone thought of this, either. It's such a perfect thing for Warriors.  
**Sandstormlover**- Here's your post! You already have both? What? Well then...you can always sell your extra one on e-bay.

And I also wanted to thank **Frostfoot** for fav'ing this story- it means a lot to me, Frosty!

Well, I suppose 4 reviews out of thirty-five hits isn't too bad, espicially since the story itself was, like, 200 words long. However, I wouldn't -cough- say no to a few extra. :)

* * *

Squirrelflight bit her lip nervously at Nightcloud's insult. At any other time, her fierce, stubborn nature would have snarled right back at the WindClan queen, but Nightcloud's words did have a core of truth in their center. It was true Squirrelflight had not been able to give milk to her own kits, but that shouldn't matter, anyways. 

"Pity," she meowed coolly. "I was under the impression that Breezekit should have stopped drinking milk by now. I must have been mistaken."

Nightcloud looked ready to spit. "Breezekit stopped drinking my milk moons ago. At least I was able to give my kit nourishment in his first weeks of life, which is more than you can say." She sniffed. "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised that you're the queen who will be taking my place. You probably jumped up at first mention of being able to see Crowfeather. Too bad Stormfur, Tawnypelt, and Brambleclaw aren't in on the act." She paused for a moment. "Am I forgetting someone? Oh yeah, that half-Clan, Feathertail, too."

Squirrelflight's mouth fell open at Nightcloud's last words. Anger made her blood boil, but it was mixed with the sadness that gripped her heart whenever Feathertail was mentioned. Three cats moved up beside her; on her left, Brambleclaw, and on her right, Stormfur and Leafpool. Nightcloud let out a shriek of anger as her gaze settled on Squirrelflight's sister.

"You," she snarled. "What are you doing here?"

"This is the ThunderClan camp, Nightcloud, and as I am ThunderClan's medicine cat..." Leafpool's cold voice trailed off as she gave Nightcloud an irritated glare.

"So!" Nightcloud's voice was triumphant. "This is why this was arranged! You," she flicked Squirrelflight's nose with her tail, "are taking my place so you can get your sister close to him again!" She drew herself up to her full, and very considerable, height.

"Don't be mousebrained," Stormfur snapped from beside Squirrelflight. "Leafpool isn't like that. Even if she doesn't like you, she's loyal to her Clan now, and would never betray ThunderClan by running off with Crowfeather."

"And besides," Brambleclaw spoke quietly, "I thought that if you loved someone, you trusted them as well. Are you saying you can't trust Crowfeather alone with Squirrelflight?"

Nightcloud frowned. "No...but...forget it." She stalked past Squirrelflight, and the crowd shifted a bit to let her pass. She threw her parting words over her shoulder, "I hope, for your sake, you can take care of a couple of toms."

Firestar stepped forward. "Dustpelt and Sandstorm can escort you to the WindClan camp," he meowed.

Squirrelflight flattened her ears. "Why not Brambleclaw instead?"

Firestar looked amused. "Well, he has to make sure Nightcloud settles in, doesn't he?"

"Fine, then."

As Dustpelt and Sandstorm jogged over to flank her, Squirrelflight turned to to her mate.

"Hey, Brambleclaw!" he looked up at her, blinking his amber eyes.

"What?"

She smirked at him. "Vengeance is sweet. Good luck with your new mate." Without a backward glance, she bounded through the entrance, her two escorts matching her step for step. Brambleclaw watched her go, not really anticipating spending the moon with the irritable Nightcloud. But his next thought caused a smirk to curl the corners of his own mouth. He would have to spend a month with Nightcloud, yes, but that also meant Squirrelflight would have to spend the month with Crowfeather.

Yes, it seemed they were both in for an interesting time.

* * *

I love my version of Nightcloud, for some reason or another. She reminds me so much of me whenever someone's stupid enough to tick me off. I'm still working on that Algebra, anyone know how to do system of equations? (We learned all this junk last year, but, alas, I haven't looked at a math problem in over 2 1/2 months, so...) **Anyway, press that blue button, baby**! Those who review this chapter get...get three wishes! I can't wait to see Crowfeather's reaction when he finds out who his new mate is, teehee. 


	3. An Awkward Moment

Geometry is fun, but Physical Science sucks.

**Mudstripe**- Glad you like it. Here's your new chappie. And thanks for fav'ing my story.  
**Flamesprit**- Yup, that's me. Yeah, the reason I chose Nightcloud was to introduce her to Jaykit. Muhahahaha  
**The.Saiki**- Aww, don't say that about poor Nightcloud. I love her. Even though a bit of toture here and there...heh heh.  
**sugerpaw**- Nightcloud already had some temper issues, I'm just building off of that. Making her evil will be turning her into a flat, shallow character  
**Greenpool**- Yeah, this is the Warriors version of Wife Swap ;)  
**Jaystar**- Ha, how did you know I can't resist Puss in Boots?  
**puppylove**- Nah, I can't bring myself to do that to her. Though, I do have plans for her  
**Pearla**- No! -quickly heals Nightcloud- you can't stab her, she still has to live through my story!  
**Frostfoot**- Hmm, Crowfeather's reaction is rather interesting.

Well here's your chappie! Enjoy!

* * *

Squirrelflight ran swiftly across the moorlands with Sandstorm and Dustpelt just beside her. As usual, she felt exposed in the open space, and the wind felt colder here on the plains, with no trees to insulate the place. 

Just then, a lithe gray shape shot out in front of them. Squirrelflight skid to a stop just in time to avoid crashing into the WindClan deputy.

"Ashfoot!" she said, her voice friendly, yet cautious. She relaxed when the she-cat dipped her head in a gesture of peace.

"I suppose this mate swap rubbish has brought you on our territory?" A new voice growled. Squirrelflight glared at the tom who stepped out of the brush, the tom who was to be her mate for the next moon. He glared right back at her with his glittering blue eyes, his black-gray fur standing on end.

Crowfeather.

* * *

Nightcloud slipped into the nursery, catching her coat on the thorns that practically suffocated the entrance. She grimaced and shook them out. _These forest cats do everything so different!_

"Hey, watch it!" a high-pitched voice spat crossly. Nightcloud squinted into the darkness; it was much lighter in the WindClan nursery, but more sheltered here. She blinked when she say a grey kit with unblinking blue eyes glaring at her as he pulled a thorn out of his flank. As she looked closer, she realized his eyes were dull and clouded. He was blind.

The kit sniffed the air around Nightcloud and screwed up his face. "You don't smell like ThunderClan," he growled, and Nightcloud saw a flash of silver as his tiny slivers of claws flexed in a threatening way. Amused, yet also admiring, she took a step towards the kit. He reminded her of her own son in so many ways already; his quick temper, his dark fur, and his reckless bravery.

"My name is Nightcloud," she meowed, looking past the bold grey tom to the other kits crouching behind him. One was black with pale green eyes that gleamed in the blackness, and the other was golden with dark amber eyes. A she-cat and another tom. The golden tom stepped forward.

"My name is Lionkit. The black kit is Hollykit, and the stubborn grey one is Jaykit," he meowed, his voice clear. Jaykit glared at him, but said nothing. The golden tom, Lionkit, continued. "Mother told us someone was going to take her place for a moon. Is it you?"

"Yes, it is me," Nightcloud said. Maybe, just maybe, she could grow to like these kits. However, her thoughts were spoiled when Jaykit spoke.

"I don't need some intruder to look after me," he spat. "I can take care of myself."

Nightcloud felt her temper rising. "I'll bet you haven't even been out of the nursery yet," she hissed.

"I have so been out of the nursery!" Jaykit growled back.

"Well, if you keep acting like this, I'll keep you in here until the Gathering!" Nightcloud snarled. "So there!"

Jaykit looked bewildered at her harshness, but the look vanished almost instantly, replaced instead with an evil smirk. Sitting down, he threw back his little mottled head and let out a huge, grief-stricken wail. Catching on quickly, the other kits followed in suit.

Immediately, another queen, one with tortoiseshell fur rushed over. She shushed the kits and ran her tongue over them soothingly.

"That she-cat is so-so m-mean!" Jaypaw cried out between his fake cries. The others echoed him. The queen twisted her head slightly to cast Nightcloud a hostile glance, and as she did so, Jaypaw threw the ex-WindClan queen a triumphant glare.

Nightcloud flexed her claws in irritation. This little brat was a clever one, that was for sure. He was bound to cause her trouble.

"What's going on?" Brambleclaw stuck his head in, and, upon seeing his crying son, sent Nightcloud an angry look.

Great.

* * *

Crowfeather stared at all of them with cool eyes. His gaze at last settled on Sandstorm.

"Older than I would like, but I suppose you'll do," he meowed gruffly.

The expression on Sandstorm's face was a cross between annoyance and amusement. Dustpelt cleared his throat loudly, and Crowfeather gave him an irritated glare.

"Er, Sandstorm won't be your mate," he muttered. Crowfeather looked genuinely puzzled, and then he sprang forward, standing nose-to-nose with the ThunderClan tom.

"I know this was all done for fun, but ThunderClan sure has a sick sense of humor!" he snarled. "I can't believe this!"

Squirrelflight felt hurt at his words, and shrank back a bit. "I'm not happy with it either, Crowfeather," she began, but the WindClan warrior swept on, not giving her so much as a second glance.

"It's one thing to exchange mates with another Clan, but for Dustpelt to be mine? That's just downright unnatural!"

For the second time that day, Squirrelflight's mouth hung wide open. She glanced at her two guards. Sandstorm looked like she was trying not to laugh, while Dustpelt looked genuinely scared. She rolled her eyes and butted Crowfeather's shoulder with her head roughly.

"Dustpelt isn't going to be your mate, you stupid furball. I am."

Crowfeather stared at her for a long moment before whirling around, stalking away from them.

"That's even worse!" he shouted over his shoulder, before vanishing into the heather.

"Well...we'll be going now, Squirrelflight," Dustpelt said, his voice shaking. He was backing away into the tall grass as he spoke.

"Wh...you're just going to leave me here?" Squirrelflight asked stupidly. Dustpelt ignored her and disappeared. Sandstorm, on the other hand, rasped her tongue over Squirrelflight's ear.

"Good luck," she purred. When her daughter opened her mouth to respond, she gave her a fierce stare. "Crowfeather's your mate now. It's your responsibility, not ours, to make sure he understands that." With these words, she slipped away, following Dustpelt's scent. Squirrelflight watched her go, feeling a weight in her stomach as her mother's scent grew fainter and fainter. It seemed she would have to go at it alone.

Great.

* * *

Someone must have slipped alcohol into my CokeZero the other day, because I have no idea where Crowfeather's reaction came from. Though, I have to admit, I was proof-reading this yesterday, and it made me laugh. HEADS UP: Tomorrow, I am going to be at Cross Country practice, and will probably be attending a race on Saturday, if nothing bad happens to me. Also, I am in the Pep Band! Go me! Alas, this means I need to go to football/vollyball games. After that, we'll be playing for the basketball team, and then, when pep band is finally over, I get to start conditioning for track and field. Fun, fun, fun. Just a little notice, in case I start to get a little inactive. I hate it when authors (and I myself have done this) just stop writing a story and leave it at that. No explanation. Well, I won't be stopping this little plot bunny anytime soon, and, I promise you all, ideas will be hopping through my head while I'm swealtering in the Rocky Mountain heat tomorrow. 

Now, review!


	4. Crowfeather and Squirrelflight

Sorry this took so long. I had to go to a thing for my brother for the entire weekend. I also went to a United States Air Force Academy football game! They stomped South Carolina State University 34-3. I was very pleased with that, so I decided that I'd finish the chapter for you guys when I got home. So, here we all are.

**Silverstar's Shadow**- I was laughing while I was reading it, and my mom came in asking me what I was looking at. Awkward...  
**Poppyleaf**- Thanks. Yeah, there are other possibilities, but Jaypaw will always be Crowfeather's son in my heart. :)  
**Flamespirit**- Thank ya, Flameth. I should write a Dustpelt/Crowfeather, just to see what the reactions are. Oh, the flames I would recieve -grin-  
**Sam**- Yep, glad you think so.  
**Secrets**- Thank you!  
**Moosey**- Ha, love the new name. Sorry the update took so darn long.  
**Hawkfrost's Girl**- Nice screenname, wish I had thought of it first. Except Crowfeather's my kitty. Anywho, I'm glad you like it, and I am insanely jealous that you have a Wii -pout-  
**Guest**- Thanks for your enthusiastic review. I don't think I've had one like that. It makes me feel warm inside -big smile- :-D  
**Starleaf**- I offer you this chapter, which is the best I can offer to anyone. :)  
**Mudstripe**- Well, they were all mad at Nightcloud for being mean to Jaykit, so they decided to get back at her. Aren't all children immature? And no one really knows Nightcloud's personality. We only usually see her around Leafpool, and of course she'd be tense. I know I wouldn't be a fine and bouncy if I was around my boyfriend/girlfriend's ex-girlfriend/boyfriend if I were you. Way too much tension. Squirrelflight's moon with Crowfeather will be like a rollercoaster, and same with Brambles and Nightcloud.

* * *

"Wait!"

Crowfeather slowed his pace, but did not stop running from that ginger menace who seemed determined to follow him to the ends of the earth. "Crowfeather, stop!" He fought down the urge to laugh, and kept going. He knew she would never be able to catch him, even if he ran his slowest. It was common knowledge WindClan cats were faster than forest cats, due to the fact they were unhindered by trees on their territory.

"Crowfeather, please!" Squirrelflight's voice seemed weaker, and Crowfeather felt an uncharacteristic twinge of worry for her. Though he had distanced himself from her during their journeys together, he did remember that Squirrelflight had a thick pelt, and it was a very warm afternoon. She also probably wasn't used to running in such direct heat, as she had the leafy treetops to block most of the sun. He sighed and, against his better judgment, stopped.

Without warning, something heavy crashed into him, and Crowfeather let out an irritated hiss, all feelings of sympathy and worry gone from his mind. He tumbled to the ground with Squirrelflight on top of him. He spat at her and pushed her off, being more rough than he meant. The she-cat slid across the dry moorland earth and lay there, panting.

Crowfeather slipped over to her side. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was harsh and shallow. He lashed his tail in annoyance, but felt guilt prickle his pelt as he did so. _I shouldn't have pushed her so hard._ Suddenly, he remembered that the route he was taking led them along the lake shore, and he hurried down to the bank.

"I'll be right back," he muttered over his shoulder, though he didn't really expect her to hear him. Part of him wished she would forget about all of this and go home, but the other part felt oddly strange, at the moment. Like he really, truly wanted to take care of her. As if he cared for her well-being. He snorted, and pushed the thoughts aside. He was confusing Squirrelflight with her sister, Leafpool. That was it. But the she-cat could never be like her sister. Never.

* * *

Squirrelflight winced as she felt cool water drip onto the side of her face. Her head was pounding, and her body felt as if she were trapped within a forest fire and couldn't find a way out. She suddenly wished her pelt was a bit thinner. She groaned as more water splashed onto her fur, and gave her head a pathetic shake.

"Is it raining, or what?"

"Open your eyes and see for yourself," came a muffled reply.

Squirrelflight cracked her eyes open into a squint, and felt the ache in her head increase tenfold as the sun shone into them. She was about to squeeze them shut again when a thin shadow stepped between her and the light. It was Crowfeather, of course, and in his jaws he held a ball of moss that was dripping wet with water. He was staring down at her with those impassive blue eyes of his, his muzzle stained black from the moisture dripping from the moss ball.

"Are you just going to lay there like a kit on a thunderpath, or do you want to drink?" he growled at her. Squirrelflight open her mouth to sneer a reply, but all that came out was a dry rasp. Crowfeather smirked at her her. "I take that as a yes?"

An infuriating itch to scream right into his smug face lit Squirrelflight's skin aflame. Typical, whenever she had her voice, she only used it to comfort her kits. Now, when she really needed to shout and vent her frustration with one of the most unsociable warriors in the forest, no words came. Instead, she looked away and clenched her jaw in a stubborn manner. To her surprise, Crowfeather laughed softly.

"Well, if you cannot drink, then follow me." He turned away and walked off.

The nerve he had, just leaving her here to die! With a string of words she would never dare to say in front of her kits, nor in front of any cat for that matter, she heaved herself upwards and staggered forward, relying on scent alone to follow in Crowfeather's wake.

She noticed that, wherever the WindClan warrior was leading her, the ground was getting very soft underpaw, and she hissed in discomfort as mud slushed up between her pads and formed crust on her claws she worked so hard to look after.

"Stop," came his voice, and she suddenly realized he was standing beside her, his thin pelt brushing lightly against hers. "We're at the lake."

Squirrelflight frowned. "Was there really no other place to get water?" she asked irritably.

"No. The summer heat has dried up all of the streams by our camp. WindClan is...WindClan is grateful that Firestar refused the stream and that strip of woodland Onestar offered him. Even though that happened moons ago, it has indeed effected our survival."

"So Mudclaw was right, in a way," Squirrelflight mused. "He was angry with Onestar when he offered that land to us. I never gave a thought to it." She thought of how she had treated Brambleclaw, when she had found him sharing misgivings about the WindClan leader with Hawkfrost so long ago, and she felt guilt churn in her stomach.

"That's why so many followed him," Crowfeather said heavily. "He was a strong, proud warrior, twice as ready to lead his Clan than Onestar, in case you didn't notice. We all trusted him and his leadership ability. It was he, not Tallstar, who led WindClan through the mountains."

"And almost got you killed on a Thunderpath along the way," Squirrelflight murmured sourly.

Crowfeather stiffened at her words. "That's because he wasn't about to take orders from ThunderClan," he spat at her. "Now get your drink and come on."

Squirrelflight flinched a bit at his words. Though she had not noticed it, they had been talking peacefully without a cross word between them. Now that she thought about it, they had been conversing like elders at a Gathering, without a care in the world. More guilt flooded into her when she realized she had shattered that peace by offending Crowfeather's memory of the dead WindClan deputy.

As she drank from the lake while Crowfeather waited for her in stony silence, she felt sorrow tug at her heart. Even though Mudclaw had betrayed his leader and attacked his Clan, Crowfeather still held respect for his admirable skills. She wondered if she would have done the same thing for Brambleclaw, if he had followed in his father's paw-prints and murdered Firestar.

* * *

**Crowfeather is not in love with Squirrelflight! **I just thought I'd clear that up before I got confused/angry reviews. He's just starting to care for her as a sibling because he's sort of giving her a chance. And I know at the beginning, Squirrelflight seemed OOC, but I based her reaction to running in the heat to Bluestar's in Rising Storm, when she was going to the Moonstone with Fireheart. Yes, I know Squirrelflight isn't as old as Bluestar, but maybe her fur was thicker, it was hotter, and she was already stressed that she was going to be in a different Clan for a moon. **Another thing: **Please, no more Nightcloud bashing. Though I agree she isn't the most joyful of cats, when I read reviews, seeing "Nightcloud is so mean" or "Nightcloud needs to die" gets so tiring. I'm not saying no one has a right to say that she's a stupid, mangy, ugly, furball, but it doesn't have to go in reviews. And the only reason everyone hates her is because she took Leafpool's place with Crowfeather. If she had turned up as, say, Onestar's mate, no one would have cared. It's a bit unfair to her, I believe. And, as I've said before, no one knows what she's truely like. So you can say in reviews that you don't like Nightcloud, but lighten up on the poor girl a bit. She needs her beauty sleep for the next chapter. ;)

Review, Review, Review! If you do, you get whatever your heart desires! Thanks for reading!


	5. After a Long Day

**Finally, I manage to get a chapter through my head. I took me a few hours, because at first I had Jaykit get into trouble, but then I decided not to, so I had to rewrite, and blah blah blah. Sorry it took pratically two months! Thank you, all of my reviewers!**

* * *

"Stop it, you do it all wrong!"

Nightcloud glared down at the black kit squirming between her front paws. The hair on Jaykit's head was spiked up from Nightcloud purposely licking it in the wrong direction. The black kit, whom Nightcloud was sorely tempted to christen "The Evil One", had been resisting her all day.

"It gets cold at night on the moors-" Nightcloud stopped short and flattened her ears in embarrassment. It did get cold at night, but she supposed that in the forest, the trees protected ThunderClan from the stinging winds that swept undeterred across the plains. Reluctantly, she let go of Jaykit, who tumbled away from her.

"Great StarClan, it's about time," the blind kit snarled, smoothing his hair down with a little paw. Nightcloud watched him through half-closed eyes. It had been a long day.

First, Brambleclaw had taken her out on a hunting patrol, but he spent most of the time lecturing her on how his sons and daughter would be treated. Nightcloud managed to tune out most of his speech, nodding or giving a "uh-huh" every time Brambleclaw asked her if she understood. Eventually, the tabby shut up long enough for Nightcloud to actually hunt. Much to her pleasure, she caught a rabbit that had been too fast for Brambleclaw, while the latter only caught a shrew and a tiny blackbird.

Thunderclan were indifferent to her presence. While they didn't go out of their way to humiliate her, they didn't exactly do a lot to make her feel at home. They pretended as if she were just another queen, as if she had always been in the camp. Nightcloud didn't really mind too much, though. She got nervous whenever cats stared at her or fawned over her. It had been torture when she had Breezekit; practically the whole Clan was in the nursery day in and day out, "oohing" and "awwing" over the newborn kit. Crowfeather stood by her in silence, his calm blue eyes resting on her at all times. In fact, he was the only cat she could stand to have stare at her.

The kits were a different story. Hollykit, the more sympathetic one, had apologized for getting her into trouble with Brambleclaw. She was quick with her mind and rather observational, traits that Nightcloud admired. Lionkit had not apologized to her, but Nightcloud was very perceptive when it came to personality analysis. She watched him throughout the day, and he was very polite to his nursery mates, as well as the cats he ran into when playing outside. He wasn't a bad cat. Jaykit, on the other hand, was nothing short of malicious. He got into trouble, told off cats older than he was, snapped at one of the younger kits when she ran into him, and was rude to Firestar himself, when the ThunderClan leader scolded him into apologizing to the little kit. All the same, his defiant nature reminded him of her own son.

"Nightcloud?" The black she-cat looked up, worried that someone had heard Jaykit's protests and come to snarl at her.

It was Leafpool. Nightcloud stared at the light brown tabby with cool eyes, and the ThunderClan medicine cat shifted a bit, looking down. Lionkit glanced at the two she-cats and then called to his brother and sister.

"Come on, you lazy lumps of fur, I'm hungry."

"All right," Jaykit complained. "I'll beat you all to the fresh-kill pile."

"That's what you think," Hollykit crowed, and slipped easily past her siblings into the clearing. Nightcloud smirked after them. How clever. Now the WindClan queen was in the nursery alone, with Leafpool standing nervously outside.

"If you have something to say to me, then say it," the black she-cat growled. Leafpool blinked at her and hesitantly stepped into the cool shadows of the nursery. Nightcloud stared at what she carried, surprised. Between her jaws, Leafpool clenched several stalks of heather.

"I found these stalks outside of the nursery," Leafpool murmured, setting them down in front of Nightcloud. Nightcloud leaned out to give them a sniff, ready to turn hostile if whoever had gotten them took them from WindClan territory. They smelled of ThunderClan, and she relaxed.

"I never knew heather grew inside ThunderClan territory," she muttered to herself.

"Just barely," Leafpool confessed. "It grows right inside our border, by the stream." Nightcloud nodded.

"So why are you here?" she asked. "You must have come by to the nursery, or else you wouldn't have seen the stalks."

Leafpool cast her eyes down again, which annoyed the queen. You could never tell if a cat was lying if they didn't look directly into your eyes.

"I acknowledge the fact Crowfeather is your mate now," the tabby she-cat whispered, so low Nightcloud almost didn't catch it.

She nodded. "All right."

Leafpool gave Nightcloud a half smile before turning away, disappearing through the gap in the nursery wall. The black cat frowned after her.

Leafpool was very strange. She had broken StarClan's code by taking Crowfeather as a mate to begin with. According to Crowfeather, she couldn't go through with it, and came back to her Clan. And now, she reacted to Nightcloud with little to no hostility at all, even though she was speaking to Crowfeather's new mate. Very strange indeed.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the kits came back into the nursery, looking sleepy. Nightcloud noted that none of them had the scent of prey on them, and resisted giving Lionkit a huge smile. How tactful of him.

Hollykit gave a huge yawn, one that Nightcloud suspected was fake.

"Well, I'm really tired, so I think I'll go to sleep." The other two mewed in agreement, and as soon as they were all settled in the corner of the nursery, Nightcloud walked over to lay beside them.

"It's funny," she muttered, closing her eyes and licking a paw, "I never heard of a kit who didn't eat, and then went to sleep willingly." There was a scuffle, a few squeals, and she felt a gust of air rush into her face. When she opened her eyes, the kits were gone.

Nightcloud yawned, a real yawn, and laid her head on her paws. Smirking, she closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep, wondering how Crowfeather was fairing with the spitfire of ThunderClan, Squirrelflight.

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**Aww, Lionpaw's so cute. And don't worry, I don't know how a cat smooth's down his hair, either, but it sounded like it would fit Jaykit's irksome personality. Ha, Nightcloud's a real smarty, isn't she? Next chapter brings Squirrel and Crow arguements and temper tantrums. Please read and review.**


	6. Three's Company

**Eh, sorry it took so long. I've been really busy, and it took a while to get a breakthrough with this story. So you guys get a 1500 word chapter for the long wait! **

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Squirrelflight watched the rabbit with unwavering green eyes as she carefully placed one paw in front of the other. The heather parted a slightly as she crept forward, but the rabbit's back was to her, and could not see nor hear her. A hawk shrieked from somewhere in the sky, and both hunter and hunted froze. Squirrelflight did not move again until the rabbit, satisfied that danger had passed for the time being, went back to nibbling on the dry grass.

Holding her breath, the ginger she-cat inched closer, moving so slow it was agonizing. But she couldn't run as fast as WindClan, so her chances of finding a rabbit, chasing it down, and catching it were pretty slim to none. A rabbit's hearing rivaled the ears of any cat, and so if she wasn't careful, she'd go back to the WindClan camp empty-pawed. She bristled slightly at the thought of Crowfeather's smug stare.

As Squirrelflight got within striking distance, her whiskers twitched in triumph and she sank back into a crouch, her backside waving from side-to-side. She couldn't believe she had managed to stalk down a rabbit on her first official day as a WindClan warrior! She felt like an apprentice who had just passed an assessment. She sank her claws into the earthy terrain and prepared to leap.

"Call that a hunting technique, kittypet?" a haughty voice jeered out. The rabbit bounded away in alarm, but before she could go after it, a dark gray streak flashed past her nose, and Crowfeather disappeared into the heather in hot pursuit. For a moment, she thought it was Crowfeather who had blown her cover, but then she saw a small black scrap of fur crouched low in the grass. It was Crowfeather's son, Breezekit, and he was staring at her with a sneering expression on his face.

"What do you know about hunting," she snarled at him furiously, the fur on her shoulders rising in anger. "You're just a little kit!"

"Puh-leese," Breezekit squeaked, sauntering out of his hiding spot in a self-assured strut much like his father's. "I've seen apprentices hunt better than you. You see, unlike in ThunderClan, WindClan thinks our kits are strong enough to venture out of the camp."

"Is that so?" A low voice growled. Crowfeather had returned, looking only slightly out of breath, and was dragging the rabbit with him. "What would you say if I told you to sleep out here tonight, then?" His voice was irritated, and Squirrelflight felt sympathetic for the young kit. StarClan knew she wouldn't want Crowfeather as her father. Worry made her uneasy, as she wondered if Crowfeather would really expose his own kit to the creatures of darkness all alone. She certainly wouldn't put it past him, that was for sure.

Breezekit lost all smugness from his expression almost instantly at his father's tone, and he scuffled his paws. "I'm sorry, father," he muttered, staring at the ground in shame.

Crowfeather narrowed his eyes and lashed his tail. "That may be, but the fact still remains that this rabbit is still prey, no matter how lousy the hunter's technique is." Squirrelflight glared at him with an irritated hiss, and Breezekit perked up a bit. Crowfeather's gaze grew hard. "I'm very disappointed that you would put your prejudices before feeding the Clan and, as a result, you will not eat tonight."

"What?!" Breezekit sprang to his paws, glaring at his father, and Squirrelflight saw for a brief moment Crowpaw, the easily frustrated apprentice she had journeyed with many moons ago.

Crowfeather stared him down. "Because you were so willing to blow Squirrelflight's chances of catching this hare, a warrior could have gone hungry tonight. Be glad I managed to chase it down, or you would be facing much worse punishment than this." He began to walk away, the dead rabbit dragging behind him.

"He's just a kit," Squirrelflight protested in shock. "He'll be sick if he goes the whole night without something to eat."

Crowfeather's head whipped around so fast, she heard the air whistle between his fur. "Don't question me on how to raise my son!" he spat at her, contempt dripping from his voice. "Breezekit, come with me back to camp. Squirrelflight, stay out here and see if you can at least_slightly_ contribute to the fresh-kill pile." He stalked away without looking back. Breezekit sent a slightly frightened look at Squirrelflight before scampering after him, his head and tail low.

Squirrelflight watched them go, feeling a great sadness weigh her paws as she turned away when they were out of sight. No wonder Breezekit was so bitter and mean, if this was how his father treated him all of the time.

xXxXxXxXxXx

Squirrelflight lay in the WindClan nursery, her head on her paws. Breezekit lay a few kitten-steps beyond her, curled up in a tiny ball. He squirmed a bit when his stomach growled, and Squirrelflight felt her heart go out to the tiny scrap. At the same time, however, her anger towards Crowfeather began to multiply rapidly. What he was doing to this kit was nothing short of torture. He was too young to go without food for an entire night.

With a determined mind, Squirrelflight got to her paws a slipped out of the nursery.

The moon was still positioning in the middle of the sky, and every other cat in the camp was asleep. The only other warriors awake on the moorlands were probably the midnight patrol, and, judging by the position of the moon, they wouldn't be back for another few hours. That is, if their patrolling was the same as ThunderClan's.

Being as quiet as possible, she slipped over to the fresh-kill pile. There was still a few pieces left, and she was glad to see that they were all small, mostly mice and shrews. Breezekit would have no problem eating one of these! She reached down and picked one up in her mouth and turned back to the nursery.

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice sounded softly from behind her. Squirrelflight nearly dropped the mouse she was holding in surprise. She looked over in time to see Crowfeather melting from the shadows of the warrior den, his eyes cold.

"I'm waiting," he hissed testily.

"Breezekit was restless," Squirrelflight snarled at him, remembering her anger towards him. "He's asleep, but he keeps tossing and turning. Come dawn, he'll be sick if he doesn't eat anything."

"Good," Crowfeather snapped. "It'll teach him a lesson."

"And what if he dies?"

"Don't be ridiculous, kits don't die from hunger."

Squirrelflight lashed her tail. "What he did was wrong, I know. But you're not exactly a StarClan-sent example for him to follow," she snarled. Instantly, she knew she had said the wrong thing.

For a long time, all Crowfeather did was stare at her, his eyes wide. But then, as if waking up from a long sleep, he shook his head, and his look of bewilderment was replaced with a look of pure hate. "Fine," he sneered at her. "Fine. Do what you like with the kit. But don't expect any help from me." He backed away into the warrior den.

"Not that I would want any help from you," Squirrelflight growled at him before she could stop herself. Crowfeather said nothing, which was highly uncharacteristic of him.

Padding back into the nursery, Squirrelflight dropped the mouse by Breezekit's nose and nudged him slightly. The kit opened his eyes and they fell greedily on the mouse. He looked up at Squirrelflight, his expression questioning, and she nodded. With a squeak of delight, he began to gulp down the mouse as if he had not eaten for days.

As he ate, Squirrelflight stared at her paws. Though it was not really a law in the Clans, it was just accepted that one cat did not tell another how he or she should raise their kits. Sure, they could suggest things, but it wasn't right to call them a bad parent or a terrible role-model. She sighed and was about to go out of the camp for a walk when she felt something brush against her side.

Breezekit had eaten every last scrap of the mouse and buried it like any good Clan cat by the nursery entrance. He had been so tired, however, that he did not make it back to his original resting place, and had fallen into Squirrelflight's flank, fast asleep. The she-cat smiled and stretched herself out on the ground again, Breezekit snuggling close to her side. Tucking her paws underneath her, Squirrelflight lay her head on her bed of moss and heather and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

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**Poor Breezekit. I mean, come on, the only reason he's so mean is because he's always exposed to Crowfeather. Please Read and Review!! **


	7. Notice Author's Note

Okay, I'm in the middle of indoor track season right now, and then the real track season is going to come up, so I may not be able to get that many updates on the site very quickly. I also have a Geometry, Spanish, and English mid-term to study for, so I'll be pretty busy in the next few weeks. I only got this most recent update because I had no homework this weekend, by some odd twist of events. Don't give up on me, and just because I'm posting this doesn't make it true; I may find time next weekend to write a new chapter, and I may not. It all depends. Thanks you for understanding, and, readers and reviewers, may you all live long, prosperous lives :)

-C.D.


	8. Expedition Disaster

**Oh, its been FOREVER I KNOW! Sorry it took so long. Thank you to everyone who wished me luck on my finals, I managed to scrap together a 3.8 average! And I'd also like to thank ScourgeofBlood, a close friend of mine, who read and reviewed every chapter in my story in a day :) I'd also like to announce that my story has hit 76 reviews, which is the most I have ever gotten. You guys make it all worth it!**

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Nightcloud stalked irritably through the undergrowth that grew near the ThunderClan camp, lashing her long black tail in annoyance as the noisy crashes of breaking branches and crinkling leaves announced the presence of Hollykit, Lionkit, and Jaykit. She thought back to what Brambleclaw had told her over her shoulder that morning before leaving on patrol.

"Take the kits out around sunhigh today, will you?" he had meowed as he walked briskly over to where his apprentice, Berrypaw, waited impatiently for him, flanked by Sandstorm and Dustpelt.

"But-" she had protested weakly, but the patrol had already left.

Now, as she slipped quietly through the forest with the kits squealing and laughing behind her, she realized her day was about to be wasted away. There was no way in StarClan she could hunt with all the racket they were making. Suddenly, the noise stopped, and she looked hastily over her shoulder. The way she was feeling towards the little pests right now, she couldn't care less what happened to them, but she didn't want an angry Firestar or Brambleclaw on her tail for the next moon.

Jaykit had frozen, his sightless eyes staring into the bushes somewhere over Lionkit's shoulder. The other two kits had also become motionless. Nightcloud raised her head and sniffed at the air, before she felt her muscles automatically tense up. A fresh fox scent was blowing towards her. Her fur began to prickle uncomfortably. When they had set out, the wind had been blowing away from them, carrying their scent. Now, obviously, a fox had followed it, hoping to snap up an easy meal before loping off to torture some other unfortunate cat.

She stepped forward automatically, putting herself between the kits and the bushes, which had started to rustle a bit. Maybe, maybe if they were quiet enough, the fox would pass them by.

"Stay where you are," she warned softly. "Don't make a sound." As she spoke, her tail curled lightly around the three kits. Lionkit and Hollykit looked terrified, but Jaykit did not appreciate her gesture.

"I don't need your protec-" he began to snarl, but Nightcloud frantically cuffed him in the head, sending him sprawling.

"Silence!" she hissed, but their position had already been given away.

A red and white whirlwind of savage claws and fangs flashed by her, and Nightcloud snarled in pain as her shoulder was laid open to the bone. Blood splattered against the green leaves, and, through her clouded eyes, she saw the great ugly brute advancing on the three kits. What she saw both stunned and awed her. In the face of his fear, Lionkit had scrambled in front of his brother and sister, his thick golden fur fluffed up with terror as he faced his enemy, who was easily five times his size.

Nightcloud quickly heaved herself to her paws, but a second too late. As she watched, frozen in horror, the fox sprang towards the three kits. As a mother, she should have been able to go to them, to fight to the death if necessary. But she couldn't force herself to move. She closed her eyes, sending a quick prayer to StarClan for Lionkit's death to be quick and painless.

A pained screech met her ears, and she forced herself to crack open her eyes. What she saw made them fly open, and her mouth fell wide in shock.

At the last minute, Lionkit had sprang into the air. The fox had sailed underneath him, missing the kit by barely a whisker. Instead, it had hit the tree stump in front of which Lionkit had crouched. Looking frantically around for Hollykit and Jaykit, she saw they were huddled underneath the roots of a large oak tree. Hollykit had her head buried beneath her paws, but Jaykit was staring directly at her with eyed wide with disbelief.

_You're supposed to protect them,_ a voice hissed at her in the back of her mind. _These are kits. Fight for them until you die!_

Needing no more encouragement, Nightcloud sailed forth, using all the speed being a WindClan cat brought to her. The fox was still crouched on the ground, whimpering in pain, and Lionkit was a few paces away, his teeth bared and his fur standing on end, but unhurt.

With blood roaring in her ears, the black she-cat crashed into the beast, who hadn't noticed her coming until it was too late. She quickly sank her sharp teeth into the fox's throat, knowing how clever they were. Once provoked into a battle, a fox would always protect its throat and stomach. She had to hand it to them; though they were the ugliest things to ever walk in the forest (besides perhaps a twoleg), they were downright crafty.

The fox cried out in anger, and Nightcloud wanted to scream when she felt razor-sharp fangs sink into her back. But she kept her hold on the fox, her eyes narrowing with determination, even as she felt hot, sticky blood flow down her sides.

She nearly lost consciousness when the fox began to tug ruthlessly on her body. She could feel her skin tearing apart, and could hear Hollykit crying in fear, while Jaykit shushed her. She could not hear Lionkit, and that worried her.

After a moment, however, she realized that as the fox tried to pull her away, it was killing itself. For her jaws were closed so tightly around its throat, it was like it was caught in a steel trap. And the more it pulled on her body, trying to tear her off, the more it was cutting into its own throat. For she would never let go, not unless she could help it.

Then, a loud call surprised them both. The fox dropped her and whipped around, causing Nightcloud to nearly loose her grip. A dark tabby sailed through the undergrowth and rammed into the fox's side. The black queen was whipped around as the fox went one way and she went the other. She still had her grip on its neck, though, and as they were separated, she felt its throat tear, and blood welled up into her face.

And then, it was all over. She tumbled away, a bloody mess, holding the fox's skin in her jaws. She glanced up to see Brambleclaw looming over the dead animal, his amber eyes burning. She staggered forward, her eyes going in and out of focus.

"Brambleclaw," she muttered. "I don't know what happened to Lionkit."

"He came to find me," the deputy responded softly. "I sent him back to camp."

"I'm sorry," she meowed. "I didn't know foxes came so close to your camp."

"That's all right, Nightcloud," the tabby sighed, beckoning with his tail for his remaining kits to come to him. They did so, shaking in fright as the left the safety of the roots. "It was I who sent you out with them, after all."

As they returned to camp, Nightcloud limping because of her shoulder, she kept a close eye on the kits. Right before going through the camp, Jaykit looked at her over his shoulder, giving her a look of pure hatred.

"I saw you freeze when my brother was about to be killed," he spat at her. "Just what sort of mother are you, anyways?"

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EDIT March 22: **Jesus Christ. Like five people asked me how Jaykit could "see" Nightcloud. You're on FanFiction people, so that requires a little bit of imagination. In The Sight, Jaypaw could sense the emotions of other cats, right? So why should Jay_kit_ be any different? He sensed her fear, and didn't hear or feel her move, so, yeah, he "saw" her freeze. You can see more than with just your eyes. Open your mind a bit and actually think about your question before whining "he can't see, so he can't see her freeze". It kind of annoyed me after the first two. If I get another review about the whole blind thing, be warned, I'll probably blow up at you in the next chapter for everyone to read. And if this seems a bit harsh, sorry, but I'm impatient when it comes to narrow-minded people.  
**

-end edit-

**Ohhhh, a bit of an angst ending, don't you think? This was originally intended to be a humorous chapter, but it turned a little dark. More humor will come though. Just give me some time!  
**


	9. I Think of Her Most of All

The sun was rising over the moors.

Squirrelflight cringed as the sun's rays pierced her closed eyelids. She was still not used to the open spaces of the WindClan camp; while it was sheltered, there always seemed like there was a lot more sun that got through here than in the ThunderClan camp. Of course, the heather was thinner than the bushes she was used to sleeping in, but…oh, such thoughts would have to wait for another time.

Her green eyes slid open slowly, and she yawned, stretched, until she heard her bones crack. The movement caused the warm bundle of fur at her side to stir and mew quietly, and Squirrelflight glanced down to see Breezekit mimicking her actions. Her eyes softened somewhat. The kit was still the same annoying, bossy, spitting image of his father, but a gentle truce had risen between them ever since she had brought him that mouse, and he had been less difficult recently.

But with this one gain of trust had come with a major loss of a friendship. Crowfeather had not spoken to her in the two or three days that had passed since she had defied his orders and brought food to his hungry son. A part of her nervously muttered that it wasn't surprising, as she had no business telling a father how he should treat his son. But another, stronger, bolder part of her was smugly commenting on how she, as Crowfeather's "mate" was just as much as a parent to Breezekit as Crowfeather was. That, and the fact that it had felt wrong just to stand back and watch him go hungry.

She leaned down to touch noses with Breezekit as he rose on wobbly legs. He returned the gesture somewhat half-heartedly (she hadn't won him over by that much yet), and tumbled out of the nursery, probably to go eat breakfast, and then to badger the elders for stories. She felt her lips curl in a soft smile. They weren't so different, after all. The warriors hunted and fought the same, the apprentices complained about their duties, and the kits played and squealed and laughed and made the camp a happy place to walk through.

The ginger she-cat got to her paws as well, noting that she was the first cat to rise in the nursery; the other mothers were still asleep, their kits curled up at their sides, muttering senselessly in their dreams. Well, maybe that was a good thing. If she could squeeze out of the camp and avoid any awkward moments, that would be great. While she had been with WindClan for about a week now, they still skirted her in passing, and whenever she made polite small talk, their answers were curt and short, their eyes suspicious and wary. She fought back a snort as she stepped out into the clearing. Like she would ever spy on them.

To her relief, the camp was almost deserted, with the occasional flicker of movement from the guard who was on guard at the entrance, and of course there was Breezekit, batting around a ball of moss by the fresh-kill pile. The pile itself looked rather low, so Squirrelflight decided to head out and see what she could catch. Maybe the others would warm up a bit if they saw her contributing something to the Clan. And so she jogged lightly out of the camp with a respectful nod to the guard, who twitched his ear but said nothing otherwise.

Oh, the morning was so lovely! There was none of the sweltering heat that dominated the day, but nor was there the chill of the night time, when all of the heat vanished and the winds, unhindered by trees or bushes, howled across the moors. It was perfect. A light fog was rolling in, and coated everything in mist. It looked rather pretty, with the sun dawning over the horizon, the mist shrouding it like veil. Everything was a haze of reds, oranges, and yellows. Quite a change from the constant green of the forest, if you asked her.

The forest…Squirrelflight turned her head as a fresh breeze brought the smell of oak and pine to her nose. As beautiful as the plains were, she would kill to be running through the woods again, darting in and out through trees, hunting with the cats she knew and loved, who trusted her. Here, no one trusted her, not that she really expected them too, but she missed the companionship that had come to easily in ThunderClan. There were a few cats who were civil to her, but they seemed unwilling to go past that, and she couldn't really blame them; if her Clanmates stared at her like that when she talked to another Clan cat, she would get away as fast as she could too.

For the moment, Squirrelflight was just content to sit there, a few fox-lengths away from the border, and drink in the scent of ThunderClan and the forest, and lost herself in thoughts of her old home.

"Thinking about them, are you?" a quiet voice questioned.

Squirrelflight had scented him coming, and her ears twitched as she heard him sit down behind her. "I can't help it. I love them," she said back softly, not taking her eyes off of the forest, so near.

"I know." Squirrelflight turned her head slightly to stare at him out of her peripheral vision. Crowfeather sat there, a dark mar on the horizon of orange, and to her surprise, his blue eyes seemed strangely sad and far away. As she looked at him, she really looked. Hard. He seemed thin and gaunt, leaner than even a WindClan should ever be. His fur wasn't hanging off of his bones yet, but from the way his shoulders and ribs jutted out sharply from his pelt, it wouldn't be long before he was in such a state. A flicker of worry passed through her, but she knew better than to voice it. It would only annoy him.

"I think of them too, sometimes. All of you." Squirrelflight could hardly believe what she had just heard. A confession? Out of Crowfeather? No way. She would have to get her ears checked once she returned home, just to make sure no lake water had gotten stuck up in there. But as she studied his unhappy features, she realized she had heard correctly. She turned around fully to stare at him, her eyes soft with sympathy.

"Feathertail too?" she dared to ask.

He glanced up sharply, and Squirrelflight braced herself for the tongue lashing she was sure was about to follow. But to her surprise, his eyes were brimming with sadness instead of hatred and fury.

"Especially Feathertail."

_And what about my sister? _Squirrelflight wanted to cry at him. _What about Leafpool? _She had been so prepared to run away, to abandon her life and everything that was important, all for the sake of this one tom. What in StarClan's name had Crowfeather been thinking, encouraging her like he did? Did he really think that anything good would have come from it? And now she moped around the camp, putting on a cheery face for her patients, but Squirrelflight knew her heart was broken, and was sad for her.

But she held her tongue once again, not wanting to draw his ire.

For a while, they just sat there, looking at each other but not quite meeting each other's eyes. Rather, they stared off into space, sometimes to the left, right, or above. Finally, their eyes made contact again, and Squirrelflight could hold it in anymore, and so she blurted it out in the hopes that it would alleviate some of his sorrow.

"I'm sorry about Breezekit. It won't happen again."

A hard look crossed his face, and Squirrelflight relaxed. Though she didn't want to make him angry, anything was better than that desolate, abandoned look that he had been wearing. His eyes lost their softness as he drew himself with a haughty sneer.

"I should hope it doesn't," he growled, standing up. Squirrelflight did the same. "However," he tacked on as an afterthought, "I suppose I was being rather…unreasonable." He shifted as he said it, and his eyes flickered to anywhere else but her. Surprise number two of the morning! Crowfeather knows how to admit his mistakes! She felt a feeling of smugness swell in her head, and she jerked her chin up with a smirk.

But his next words wiped the smug look off her face as quickly as it had appeared. "I suppose a stupid punishment does call for a stupid kit-rebellion." He turned tail and walked off, his tail waving arrogantly behind him.

"I'm not a kit!" Squirrelflight rumbled after him, but he had already vanished into the heather. Oh, how she wanted to claw that cheeky look off of his maw. With a grumble, Squirrelflight stalked into the tall grass with the hopes that she would be able to catch some prey before sunhigh.


End file.
